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Things still feel heavy in my heart about my dad’s confessions, and it’s sad that I’ll never have the chance to talk to him about it in person. I mean, he must have wanted to know if I was really his son?
It’s a helpless feeling at times, but at least I got to find out, to some degree, why things were so complicated and strained between us. The thought remains in my mind that I am the son he always wanted.
Even if he showed it poorly.
Kenny pulls me aside five minutes into us arriving. My mom isn’t home yet. Maddie keeps Kate company while we step outside for a moment.
“Ken, you seem pretty pent up. What’s going on?” I ask him, tempted to string it out and make him sweat, but I can see he’s already having a hard enough time.
“Well, it’s just that there’s something I wanted to ask you to do with Kate.”
I try to keep my face as serious as possible. “Oh, really, like what? And before you answer, you better make sure you know what you’re doing getting involved in this family.”
He looks at me quite seriously, then I break into a smile and pat him on the back roughly. “Lighten up, brother. You look like you’re going to faint.”
“I think I am,” he confesses, holding himself up against the wall.
I’m not that scary, am I?
“What’s going on, Ken? You seemed pretty insistent the last couple of days about ‘having a chat.’”
“Yes, there’s been something pretty big on my mind.”
“Out with it,” I encourage him. But he clams up again.
“You wanna marry my sister?” I sigh, helping him out.
He nods gingerly. “Yeah, is it that obvious?”
“Well, to me it kinda is,” I muse. “And serious respect, Ken, for asking my permission.” I figure that’s what he’s doing.
“You’re the closest she has to…” he trails off. “Well, you know.”
I nod, giving him another pat on the back. “I know, and my answer is yes. You’re good together. And I’m happy that you two are happy. Just don’t lose what you got. That’s my one request. Don’t either of you get complacent.”
“I love her,” he says. “I have from the first moment I saw her.”
“You’re a good man,” I say, a lump forming in my throat at his sincerity. It’s everything you could wish for your little sister. “Now, let’s get back in there. You gonna propose tonight?”
“Was hoping so, if you said yes, of course.”
I laugh. “It’s her saying yes that counts, my friend.”
He laughs, too, finally lightening up, and we walk back inside. I can’t wait to see the ring and the look on her face when he pops the big one.
There’s nothing more I want for my sister other than for her to be happy.
I think they’ve pretty much got that down pat.
“Ashton!” Mom smiles when she comes home and sees me, Mads, Kenny, and Kate all sitting around her dining table with a bottle of wine already opened. Poor Kenny looks like he has a lot on his mind. He’s taking her out on a date tonight, so we’ll stay for dinner with mom and then go back to our weekend rental afterward.
I know Kenny is doing everything he can to keep it together.
“Hey, Mom,” I say.
It’s tense between us. I don’t walk over to hug her like I normally would. But she comes and kisses me anyway, then Maddison.
“Darling girl, you look good.” Mom assesses her stepping back.
